Slovakia's PM Robert Fico underwent further surgery, remains in serious
condition
Published on 17/05/2024 - 14:01

The populist leader was shot multiple times on Wednesday while greeting
supporters after a government meeting in Handlova.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico underwent another operation after
being shot in an assassination attempt earlier this week and remains in
serious condition, according to the country�s Deputy PM and Defence
Minister Robert Kalin�k.

Fico, 59, was shot multiple times on Wednesday while greeting supporters
after a government meeting in the former coal mining town of Handlov�, in
an attack that has shocked the nation.

Miriam Lapunikova, director of the Roosevelt Hospital in Bansk� Bystrica --
where Fico was taken by helicopter after he was shot -- said Fico underwent
a CT scan and is awake and stable in intensive care.

Despite the fact he is conscious, she described his condition as �very
serious�.

She explained that the surgery removed dead tissues that had remained
inside Fico's body.

"The attempt on Fico's life was politically motivated", Slovakia's Interior
Minister Matu� �utaj-E�tok said during a news conference on Fico's shooting
on Thursday.

E�tok said the suspect, believed to be 71, was a "lone wolf" and did not
belong to any political party but had previously taken part in anti-
government protests.

Earlier on Friday, the man charged with the attempted assassination of Fico
was escorted by police to his home, reportedly to search for evidence.

Prosecutors have warned police not to publicly identify the suspect or
release other details about the case. The suspect's detention will be
reviewed at a hearing on Saturday at Slovakia's Specialised Criminal Court
in Pezinok, outside the capital, Bratislava.

Local media reports suggested he was a 71-year-old retiree known as an
amateur poet and novelist who may have previously worked as a security
guard at a mall in the country�s southwest.